The other day I went to the Chinese restaurant near my apartment to buy some food. It was Saturday, who wants to cook on a Saturday, right? I drove there and when I arrived at front of the restaurant, I put the signal to the left, I was happy because there were two parking spots available. When I’m at a full stop waiting for a car to pass so I can park, a small car behind it suddenly took the parking that I was waiting for. Not just that, the guy parked so bad that he occupied both parking spots that were available making it impossible for me to park where I was so patiently waiting for.

I got so mad but I refrained myself from screaming and went to find another parking space. I found another one in the other parking lot they got.  When I entered the restaurant to place my order, the guy who stole both parking spots was already ordering. He was a young man with tattoos on one of his arms. I don’t have a thing against people with tats, but that’s what I most remember about this guy in particular. I wanted to tell him so many things (ok, ‘tell’ is not the right word, ‘yell’ is more like it). But again, I refrained myself. I didn’t want to make a scene in front of the cashier or the restaurant staff. But I was still so upset about what he had done.  I felt like I wanted to rip his head off….(yeah, that violent!).

After the guy placed his order, he did an about face and smiled at me. I just couldn’t smile back. That’s so not me. I could read on his face the disappointment of me not smiling back at him. I bet he was wondering why I reacted that way.  Probably he didn’t even notice that I was awaiting for one of those parking spots that he took.  At the time, I didn’t even notice if he was looking at me or not.

But then I thought, that even though he wronged me, at the end I had found another parking spot available.  I analyzed that me being so upset, instead of just letting it go, was damaging myself not him.

If I had yelled at him and made a scene, what testimony would I have given of the love of Christ in my life? I did fail when I stayed upset and didn’t smile back….I don’t justify what I did.  But it would have been better to just let the anger go, specially when I had found a solution to my problem so easily.  I often envy those folks who get disappointed and easily let it go, instead of holding grudges.

Oh well, I know now that I’m still a work in progress.